The present invention relates to reactors for combusting gaseous fuels. More particularly, the invention relates to a kinetic dissociator in which process gases are completely reacted prior to discharge.
A kinetic dissociator is a thermal reactor that creates the proper conditions for fuel elements to fully react with oxygen, thus releasing the total amount of the free energies expected from any and all of the thermodynamic chemical reactions of combustion. Such an apparatus will prevent the emission of products of imperfect combustion like carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, carbon molecules and free sulfur.
Combustors and combustion reactors that burn fuel elements completely, release only carbon dioxide and water into the atmosphere when burning clean hydrocarbon fuels. Usually these combustors are used for processes where perfect combustion is desired because of economical reasons such as lower energy costs. However, large portions of the heat processing and heat user industry do not have processes that discharge clean emissions as they use old combustion technologies or they burn fuel that is not clean or too complex to be burned in one stage.
A typical industry that discharges pollutants from combustion processes into the atmosphere is the incineration industry. Most of the incinerators burn solid, liquid or gaseous waste of complex molecular structures. The emissions contain pollutants like carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon dust, hydrocarbons and substituted hydrocarbon compounds such as chlorinated aromatics.
The presence of carbon monoxide in the products from a reactor is the first indication of the presence of the more dangerous emissions in flue gases. Carbon monoxide presence in the flue gas is an indication that the hydrocarbon molecules have not dissociated and reacted with oxygen completely since the reaction of oxygen and carbon monoxide to form carbon dioxide is a priority reaction. In other words, carbon monoxide is still being formed rather then being completely combusted.
In order to obtain perfect combustion of any fuel, the following conditions need to exist inside a combustion chamber or reactor; required molar masses of fuel and oxygen, proper temperature, proper molecular speed, proper particle residence time (reaction time) and constant pressure. If any one of these conditions is not present, the combustion will be imperfect and the emissions will contain pollutants.
In order to prevent pollutant discharge into the atmosphere from an imperfect combustion chamber, flue gases are often passed through a second stage combustor that offers new and better combustion reaction conditions. Secondary combustors are often called "afterburners" and usually consist of just an additional burner installed in an exit tunnel such as the gas passage to the flue.
An afterburner usually improves the overall combustion efficiency and occasionally qualifies a system to pass the pollution emissions requirements tests depending on the nature of the fuel and the geographical location of the system installation. However, if the pollution emission standards are very stringent or if the flue gas volume is large and not uniform in cross section composition and velocity, an afterburner in the tunnel without more will not be sufficient to solve the pollution problems.
Additionally, large flows of gases containing small amounts of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons need to be remixed thoroughly and exposed to proper reaction conditions. This can be achieved only inside a well controlled reactor chamber.
In view of the foregoing, it is apparent that it would be an advancement in the art to provide a reaction chamber in which proper reaction conditions can more easily be maintained to completely react pollutants. Such a chamber is disclosed and claimed herein.